U.S. patent number 6,981,695 [Application Number 10/684,693] was granted by the patent office on 2006-01-03 for all terrain vehicle with multiple winches.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Polaris Industries Inc.. Invention is credited to David Foss, Dean Hedlund, Ryan Sorenson.
United States Patent |
6,981,695 |
Hedlund , et al. |
January 3, 2006 |
All terrain vehicle with multiple winches
Abstract
An all terrain vehicle with a plurality of independent winches
is provided. One winch may be mounted on the front of the all
terrain vehicle. Another winch may be mounted at the rear of the
all terrain vehicle. The winches are controlled independently of
each other. For example, the front winch can be driven in a forward
direction or a reverse direction independently of the rear winch,
and the rear winch can be driven in a forward direction or a
reverse direction independently of the front winch. Additionally,
the front winch and the rear winch may be engaged to operate
simultaneously.
Inventors: |
Hedlund; Dean (Roseau, MN),
Foss; David (Greenbush, MN), Sorenson; Ryan (Roseau,
MN) |
Assignee: |
Polaris Industries Inc.
(Medina, MN)
|
Family
ID: |
35508958 |
Appl.
No.: |
10/684,693 |
Filed: |
October 14, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
254/323;
254/328 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B66D
3/006 (20130101); Y10S 715/964 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B66D
1/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;254/323,328 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Marcelo; Emmanuel
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An all terrain vehicle comprising: a chassis carrying a
straddle-type seat; a pair of front wheels mounted to the chassis,
and a steering mechanism operatively connected to the front wheels
for steering the vehicle; a pair of rear wheels mounted to the
chassis; an engine carried by the chassis, the engine being
connected to a drive train supplying motive power to at least some
of the wheels; a front winch located proximate the front of the all
terrain vehicle; and a rear winch located proximate the rear of the
all terrain vehicle, the front and rear winches being independently
operable.
2. The all terrain vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a
selector switch that selects which of the front winch and rear
winch is operable.
3. The all terrain vehicle of claim 2, wherein the selector switch
is electrically connected between the control switch and the
winches.
4. The all terrain vehicle of claim 2, wherein the selector switch
includes a first position to select the front winch only, a second
position to select the rear winch only, a third position to select
both the front winch and the rear winch, and a fourth position to
select neither the front winch nor the rear winch.
5. The all terrain vehicle of claim 2, wherein the selector switch
includes at least one position to select the front winch and not
the rear winch and a second position to select the rear winch and
not the front winch.
6. The all terrain vehicle of claim 2, wherein the selector switch
is manually operated.
7. The all terrain vehicle of claim 1, further including a control
switch that actuates the selected winches in the in or out
directions.
8. The all terrain vehicle of claim 7, wherein the control switch
has in and out positions that actuate the selected winches in the
wind and unwind directions respectively.
9. The all terrain vehicle of claim 8, wherein the in position
connects the vehicle power source to the selected winches at one
voltage polarity and the out position connects the power source to
the selected winches at an opposite voltage polarity.
10. The all terrain vehicle of claim 8, wherein the in direction
corresponds to winding the winch and the out direction corresponds
to unwinding the winch.
11. The all terrain vehicle of claim 7, wherein the control switch
is manually operated.
12. The all terrain vehicle of claim 7, wherein the control switch
has an in position, an out position, and an off position.
13. The all terrain vehicle of claim 1, further including a control
switch that connects a vehicle power source to the selected
winches.
14. An all terrain vehicle comprising: a chassis having a
straddle-type seat; a pair of front wheels mounted to the chassis,
and a steering mechanism operatively connected to the front wheels
for steering the vehicle; a pair of rear wheels mounted to the
chassis; an engine carried by the chassis, the engine being
connected to a drive train supplying motive power to at least some
of the wheels; a front motor driven winch rigidly attached towards
the front of the all terrain vehicle; a rear motor driven winch
rigidly attached towards the rear of the all terrain vehicle; a
vehicle power source for supplying power to the winches; and a
selector switch that selects which of the front winch and rear
winch is operable.
15. The all terrain vehicle of claim 14, further including a
control switch that actuates the selected winches in the in or out
directions.
16. The all terrain vehicle of claim 15, wherein the control switch
has in and out positions that actuate the selected winches in the
wind and unwind directions respectively.
17. The all terrain vehicle of claim 16, wherein the in position
connects the vehicle power source to the selected winches at one
voltage polarity and the out position connects the power source to
the selected winches at an opposite voltage polarity.
18. The all terrain vehicle of claim 16, wherein the in direction
corresponds to winding the winch and the out direction corresponds
to unwinding the winch.
19. The all terrain vehicle of claim 15, wherein the control switch
is manually operated.
20. The all terrain vehicle of claim 15, wherein the control switch
and the selector switch are separate switches.
21. The all terrain vehicle of claim 15, wherein the control switch
has an in position, an out position, and an off position.
22. The all terrain vehicle of claim 14, further including a
control switch that connects the vehicle power source to the
selected winches.
23. The all terrain vehicle of claim 14, wherein the selector
switch is electrically connected between the control switch and the
winches.
24. The all terrain vehicle of claim 14, wherein the selector
switch includes a first position to select the front winch only, a
second position to select the rear winch only, a third position to
select both the front winch and the rear winch, and a fourth
position to select neither the front winch nor the rear winch.
25. The all terrain vehicle of claim 14, wherein the selector
switch includes at least one position to select the front winch and
not the rear winch and a second position to select the rear winch
and not the front winch.
26. The all terrain vehicle of claim 14, wherein the selector
switch is manually operated.
27. An all terrain vehicle comprising: a chassis carrying a
straddle-type seat which is sufficiently narrow to be straddled by
a rider; a pair of front wheels operatively mounted to the chassis,
and handlebars operatively connected to the front wheels for
steering the vehicle; a pair of rear wheels operatively mounted to
the chassis; an engine carried by the chassis, the engine being
connected to a drive train supplying motive power to at least some
of the wheels; and a plurality of winches, the winches being
attached to the all terrain vehicle in locations suitable for
pulling the all terrain vehicle in substantially opposite
directions.
28. The all terrain vehicle of claim 27, wherein one of the
plurality of winches is rigidly attached towards the front of the
all terrain vehicle.
29. The all terrain vehicle of claim 27, wherein one of the
plurality of winches is rigidly attached towards the rear of the
all terrain vehicle.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an all terrain vehicle (ATV) with
multiple winches, and, more particularly, to an ATV with two
independent winches, one mounted in front and one mounted in the
rear of the vehicle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
All terrain vehicles (ATVs) are multipurpose vehicles that are
popular for recreational use, such as camping and fishing, and
utility use either on the job or around the house. The adaptability
and versatility of an ATV can support many off-road tasks within
agriculture, forestry, horticulture and similar outdoor industries.
In addition, this adaptability and versatility make ATVs ideal for
military use. ATVs easily traverse various off-highway trails,
reach rugged locations that other vehicles cannot, and offer
business operators the opportunity to accomplish work in the field
at significant financial savings when compared to using a truck or
tractor. Utility ATVs, especially suited for hauling and towing as
well as trail riding, are as popular as ATVs for weekend
recreational riding. ATVs operate in all climates and are among the
most versatile vehicles in operation today.
ATVs are off-road vehicles characterized by having four wheels (two
front and two rear) with low pressure tires, handlebars connected
to the front wheels for steering, a straddle-type seat designed for
a single rider (although the seat may be designed to accommodate
multiple passengers), laterally extending footrests on opposite
sides of the vehicle, and an engine and transmission located
generally beneath the straddle-type seat and substantially between
the footrests. ATVs are generally not wider than about 50 inches;
most commonly about 44 to 48 inches in overall width. The
transmission typically is connected by a suitable drive train to
the rear wheels. In many applications, it is desirable to have all
four wheels driven by the engine. Four wheel drive ATVs usually
have one drive train connecting the transmission to the rear wheels
and a separate drive train connecting the transmission to the front
wheels.
ATVs are occasionally fitted with a winch. A winch is a stationary
motor-driven or hand-powered machine used for pulling, hoisting,
hauling or to assist in the extraction of the ATV from a stuck
position. A typical winch has a cable made of wound metal strands,
rope, chain, or other similar material having high tensile strength
wound around a drum. In addition, the winch may have a hook at one
end of the cable useful for attaching the cable to a desired
object. The winch may also include opposed cylindrical rollers
attached on each side of the cable to facilitate winding and
unwinding. Motor-driven winches often have an operator control
switch mounted on or near the handlebars. The motor is generally
electric and is powered by the ATV's battery or electrical
system.
The winch can be used in a variety of ways. For example, one end of
the cable may be attached to a stationary object and the winch used
to help move or extricate the ATV from an entangled position.
Additionally, one end of the cable may be attached to an object in
order to hoist or haul it.
ATVs occasionally have either a front or a rear mounted winch, but
not both. Some ATVs have a transfer system that allows a single
winch to be moved to a front mounting location or to a rear
mounting location. In such transfer systems, power for the winch is
supplied simultaneously to both the front and rear electrical
harnesses. That is, if a second winch was added to the mounting
location not occupied by the first winch, the winches would operate
simultaneously unless the operator unplugged one of the winches
from its electrical harness. For example, if the operator actuates
the front winch, the rear winch would be actuated too.
The transfer design can render the winch useless in many
situations. If an ATV becomes stuck, it is time consuming,
inconvenient, or impossible to transfer the winch from one end of
the ATV to the other. For instance, if one end of the ATV is
submerged or butted up against an object, the winch at that end is
not accessible. If the winch cannot be transferred to the
appropriate position for a given situation it cannot be utilized
for its intended use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention improves upon the winch transfer system by
providing an all terrain vehicle with front and rear motor-driven
winches that are independently operable. In one embodiment, an
operator selector switch may be used to select which of the
winches, front and/or rear, may be selected for operation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side profile view of an ATV in an embodiment of the
present invention.
FIG. 2 is a front profile view of an ATV in an embodiment of the
present invention.
FIG. 3 is a rear profile view of an ATV in an embodiment of the
present invention.
FIG. 4 is an elevated view of a winch attached to an ATV in an
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is an elevated perspective view of a winch attached to an
ATV in an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a side profile view of a winch attached to an ATV frame
in an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a side view of an operator selector switch attached to an
ATV in an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an operator control switch in an
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing an operator control switch
and an operator selector switch in an embodiment of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
As shown in FIG. 1, the present invention includes an ATV 10 having
a front end 12 and a rear end 14. The ATV 10 comprises chassis
carrying seat 16. In one embodiment, the seat 16 is sufficiently
narrow to be straddled by a vehicle rider. ATV 10 also has a pair
of front wheels 18 and a pair of rear wheels 20 and at least one
laterally extending footrest 22. The ATV may also include a front
support rack 24 attached to chassis or frame. ATV 10 also includes
a steering member that may be used for steering ATV 10. In the
embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the steering member comprises
handlebars 26. ATV 10 also includes an engine that is carried by
the chassis. The engine is preferably coupled to at least some of
the front wheels 18 and/or rear wheels 20 of ATV 10 via a drive
train for propelling ATV 10. The engine may be used to power each
rear wheel, and in some cases also each front wheel.
In some embodiments, ATV 10 includes means to generate electrical
power to provide source power to a plurality of winches and other
electrical components, such as headlights 28 and taillights 30 (see
FIGS. 2 and 3). The power source may be an internal battery carried
by the ATV 10, a generator connected to the engine, or another
energy storage device. Preferably, the power source is DC, although
AC may be used if an appropriate AC to DC converter were also
employed. In another embodiment, the winches could be powered by an
AC power source.
The ATV includes a plurality of winches. In one embodiment, the ATV
10 includes a front winch 32 as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 2,
and a rear winch 34 as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 3. Front
winch 32 and rear winch 34 are independently operable as explained
below. Front winch 32 can be attached to ATV 10 in any location
that allows a substantially rigid and sturdy connection between
front winch 32 and ATV 10.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, front winch 32 may be attached to
support rack 24, which is in turn connected to a frame or chassis
of the ATV. Front winch 32 can be attached by any means to form a
rigid and sturdy connection to the ATV 10. For example, front winch
90 may be attached to ATV 10 with bolts or rivets 36 (as shown in
FIG. 4).
Rear winch 34 can be attached to ATV 10 in any location that allows
a substantially sturdy connection between rear winch 34 and ATV 10.
As shown in FIG. 6, rear winch 34 may be attached to chassis 38.
Rear winch 34 may be attached by any means to form a rigid
connection. For example, rear winch 34 may be attached to ATV 10
with bolts or rivets.
Each winch is typically comprised of a cable wound about a drum
connected to an electrical motor. As shown in FIG. 4, each winch
may also include a hook 40 attached to the free end of the cable,
and a plurality of rollers 42 useful for facilitating the winding
and unwinding of the cable as driven by the winch's electrical
motor 44.
Front winch 32 and rear winch 34 are independently operable. The
operator can selectively control front winch 32 or rear winch 34
with operator selector switch 46. The operator selector switch 46
may be located anywhere on ATV 10. Referring to the embodiment
shown in FIG. 7, the operator selector switch 46 is located on
headlight housing 48. In this embodiment, the operator selector
switch 46 is a three-position switch with positions labeled FRONT,
REAR, and OFF. In the FRONT position, the front winch 32 only is
selected for actuation. In the REAR position, the rear winch 34
only is selected for actuation. In the OFF position, neither winch
32, 34 is selected for actuation, such that neither winch
operates.
In one alternate embodiment, the operator selector switch 46
includes a fourth position that selects both the front and rear
winches 32, 34 for simultaneous operation. In another embodiment,
the selector switch 46 may have only a first position to connect
the power source to the front winch 32 and a second position to
connect the power source to the rear winch 34.
The operator can control the direction, winding or unwinding, of
the selected winch or winches with operator directional control
switch 50. Control switch 50 may be mounted anywhere on the ATV 10.
Referring to the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, operator control
switch 50 is located on handlebar 26. In this embodiment, the
operator control switch 50 is a manually operated three-position
switch. As shown in FIG. 8, the three switch 50 positions are OUT,
IN, and OFF. OUT is chosen by manually toggling the switch 50
leftward. IN is selected by manually toggling the switch 50
rightward. OFF, although not labeled, is chosen by allowing the
position to rock back to center. The operator control switch 50
defaults to the off position. That is, the switch 50 is spring
biased to return to the center, "off" position in the absence of
any force toggling the switch 50 leftward or rightward.
Although control switch 50 is shown as a toggle switch in FIG. 8,
it is understood that any functional equivalent directional control
mechanism may be substituted that allows the operator to manually
select at least IN, OUT, and OFF.
FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment showing the
electrical connections between the power source 52, operator
control switch 50, operator selector switch 46, front winch 32 and
rear winch 34. As shown in FIG. 9, the directional control switch
50 connects to the operator selector switch 46. The selector switch
46 allows the operator to select which winches 32, 34 (or others)
are actuated in or out by the control switch 50.
In the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the operator selector
switch 46 is a manually operable four-position switch. The operator
selector switch 46 setting routes the electrical power to the
desired winch or winches 32, 34. In this embodiment, the operator
selector switch 46 includes a first position to connect the power
source to the front winch 32 only, a second position to connect the
power source to the rear winch 34 only, a third position to connect
both the front winch 32 and the rear winch 34 to the power source,
and a fourth position to prevent connection between the power
source and both the front winch 32 and the rear winch 34.
The operator directional control switch 50 is shown
diagrammatically in FIG. 9. As shown in FIG. 9, in the "off"
position (shown as N or neutral in the diagram), the control switch
50 opens the connection between the power source and the operator
selector switch 46. When manually toggled to the IN position (shown
as I in the diagram), the operator control switch 50 connects the
power source to the operator selector switch 46 with one voltage
polarity, for example, positive. In this position, the selected
winch or winches 32, 34 will wind. When manually toggled to the OUT
position (shown as O in FIG. 8), the operator control switch 50
acts as a crossover switch and connects the power source to the
operator selector switch 46 with the opposite polarity. In this
position, the selected winch or winches 32, 34 will unwind
themselves.
In an alternate embodiment, the operator selector switch 46 and
operator control switch 50 may be combined into a single
multiposition switch. This multiposition switch could include
positions such as front-in, front-out, rear-in, and rear-out. For
example, the mulitposition switch could include a front-in position
for directing power to the front winch 32 of the proper polarity to
wind front winch 32.
As another alternative embodiment, the power source may be
connected to the operator selector switch 46. The operator selector
switch 46 would route the signal to one or more operator control
switches 50 capable of independently winding or unwinding both
front winch 32 and/or rear winch 34.
It is noted that an ATV is merely an example vehicle for which the
present invention may be used. Although the present invention is
shown and described in the context of an ATV, the present invention
can also be employed for other utility and recreation vehicles,
e.g. snowmobiles, in a manner that would be apparent to those of
ordinary skill in the art.
* * * * *